Letters to the Editor for May 27, 2013

It is this time of year I remember a friend I met 20 years ago this week. One name I know yours readers will know, Pearl Jones. I spent six weeks in America following the OregonTrail. When I arrived in Baker City, Pearl, knowing I was traveling alone, tucked me under her wing and showed me around, and I met many of her friends and family. After that Pearl and I kept in touch. And when she visited England we met up. Her family let me know about her death several years ago.

I still remember with fondness Baker City, its people and most of all Pearl Jones. My regards to you all.

Maggie Willsteed

Salisbury, England

Community helps Mayce Collard's memory live on

We wish to thank our community for surrounding the fifth-annual Mayce Day-DRINK PINK event with support for the J. Mayce Memorial Scholarship fund. With a team effort of the Collard family, BHS Learning Center's Bulldog Blender, volunteers and you, we have been able to financially award numerous recipients who personify many of Mayce's best qualities: a positive attitude, volunteer experience and acceptance of others.

February 2007 was a devastating time for the Collard family, when Mayce Collard, an extraordinary young woman, was taken from us at age 16, all too soon. This has changed the Collards' lives forever, but I personally know the outreach from our community has been and continues to be such a help.

Mayce Day-DRINK PINK is a day of hustle and bustle with the making of more than 200 drinks, and numerous volunteers, including the Collards, driving around town delivering cups and cups of blended drinks all topped off with special Mayce Day hot pink straws (thank you, Sorbenots!). In the midst of the craziness there never fails to be a moment of reflection of how powerful this day is. Realizing each and every drink was ordered with Mayce Collard crossing their mind. She lives on in us. It is a blessing to live in such a wonderful place.